Gerry Stamatelatos, a man of few words who served up tons of meals, died Saturday, five months after closing his family’s landmark Teaneck diner, Louie’s Charcoal Pit.

He was 75 and lived in Oakland.

To be more precise, Mr. Stamatelatos slept in Oakland. Teaneck’s main business corridor, Cedar Lane, was his true home.

He spent 16-hour days at the restaurant he purchased in 1971 from the original owner, a guy named Louie. No one’s idea of a chatterbox, Mr. Stamatelatos often stationed himself at the register. If customers saw him there, that meant he was done whipping up the day’s specials.

“He made a roasted duck as good as at any fine restaurant in the city,” said former Teaneck Mayor Paul Ostrow.

Mr. Stamatelatos was appreciated for more than his duck and the fire-grilled burgers that were the Charcoal Pit’s stock in trade. He fervently supported Teaneck youth sports, first responders and many other township organizations.

Ostrow said Mr. Stamatelatos once asked what he could do to help the ambulance corps.

“How about donating hamburger meat?” Ostrow suggested.

“And beginning with that, he donated hamburger patties to the ambulance corps every year for their Fourth of July picnic.”

Judy Distler of Teaneck patronized Louie’s for as long as Mr. Stamatelatos had the place.

“Gerry had a gruff exterior but underneath was a good heart,” she said. “If I came in there with my grandchildren and they said they wanted pizza — and there was no pizza on the menu — Gerry would say, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll make them pizza’” she said.

“That’s what you expected from Gerry: A rare smile. Very few words. But he was very good to a lot of people.”

Gerasimos Stamatelatos was born on the Greek island of Kefalonia and immigrated to the United States at age 16.

“He had $5 in his pocket,” his son, Dino, said. “He was here two days, and on the third day he went to work as a dishwasher. At one time as a teenager he held three jobs. My father was from a generation that believed in extremely hard work.”

He was a chef at the Capitol Restaurant in upper Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood when the Louie’s opportunity came along. Under Mr. Stamatelatos, Louie’s drew customers from Teaneck and beyond, including folk singer Phoebe Snow, a Teaneck native, and comedian Bill Murray during the early years of “Saturday Night Live.”

Louie’s Charcoal Pit closed in December. Mr. Stamatelatos was ailing with Parkinson’s disease at the time, his son said, and bile duct cancer was diagnosed in February.

A developer wants to demolish three Cedar Lane properties, including the building that housed Louie’s, for construction of a Walgreens pharmacy. The plans are before the township Board of Adjustment.

Mr. Stamatelatos is survived by his wife, Gloria; his children, Dino Stamatelatos, Nikki Stamatelatos and Anna Maria Thornhill; three sisters; and three grandchildren.

Services, under the direction of Frank Patti and Kenneth Mikatarian Funeral Directors, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Wyckoff.